The back to school rush is upon us, and for many parents it can be a hassle to prepare for the check up or know what type of questions to ask. To relieve some of the stress, let me give you some questions (& answers) you may want to know.

1. How is the overall health of my child’s mouth? This question is important for parents to know, because your dentist can let you know about your children’s problem areas. Knowing about the problem areas in your child’s mouth can lead to treatment and furthermore prevention.
2. Why does my child need sealants? What are they? Sealants are a clear plastic coating that go over the molars to protect teeth against rot. Since molars are in the back of our mouth we tend to not give them a thorough brushing or flossing. Even when we try our best to keep our mouth clean it is just not enough to keep cavities from forming because of food buildup and debris. It is a fact that sealants protect against 80% of cavities on molars and if your dentist recommends them, it would definitely help with preventing cavities from forming and tooth decay.
3. How can my child improve their smile? It is no secret that a person’s smile is part of their charm. However, not everyone is born with a perfect smile. I know I wasn’t. My two front teeth overlapped one another and it looked like I only had only one front tooth until I finally got braces. Unfortunately for me I had braces for 8 years complete with wire springs and everything! I had them from the 3rd grade to the 10th grade. I don’t regret it because my smile is immaculate but it was a long process and I had some seriously crooked teeth complete with crowding and a crossbite. For most people you won’t need braces for this long especially with our resident orthodontist, Dr. Tran. So call us today to schedule a consultation on ways you and your family can best improve your smile.
4. Does my child need XRAYS? What we can’t see wont hurt us, right? Wrong! XRAYS are helpful for your dentist to see that your child is growing healthy roots and healthy permanent teeth. In addition XRAYS can help the dentist locate cavities that form between teeth (yes, I said between) and identify gum disease, gingivitis or other concerns needing periomaintenance.
5. Why do baby teeth need fillings? Although baby teeth fall out eventually, baby teeth still have roots and can still cause discomfort for your child. Fillings prevent the tooth from further decay with can preserve the integrity of the tooth. In addition, extracting a tooth can be painful, and it may take years for a permanent tooth to emerge in it’s place.

I hope these tips were helpful in identifying some concerns you should have during your child’s next visit to the dentist. I would like to encourage and empower all parents to teach their children and inspire them to be concerned about their dental health.

In the last blog post we talked about the different dental insurance plans that exist. Today I want to talk about the types of procedures that you may want to have covered. I do want to start off by saying that everyone is different. When you are shopping for insurance, it may be a good idea to know what type of procedures you may have had done in the past, because those procedures can inform you on what type of coverage you will need in the future. Another idea to keep in mind is what types of oral health goals you personally want to set for yourself so you can get the best smile going forward.
When looking for insurance coverage there are several categories that insurance companies use to label certain procedures. The three main categories are preventative, basic and major. Preventative or preventative and diagnostic care is considered all the dental care received that helps with prevention of disease and routine diagnostic procedures. Preventative care usually includes oral exams, cleanings and x-rays. Basic or basic restorative care are simple treatments that help with tooth maintenance, such as fillings and anesthetics. These types of treatments can typically be done the same day as diagnosed. Major or major restorative care is considered complex treatments that help with ailments that require multiple phases of therapy to correct. Major treatments usually include crowns, dentures and bridges. With in the categories of basic and major, there are other procedure types that can fall into those categories; those are Perio, Endo and Oral. Perio or periodontal care is the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of gum disease. Endo or Endodontic procedures include procedures that involve the soft tissue of teeth. Oral or Oral Surgery is procedures that involve the incision of oral tissues and abscesses. With these categories in mind, you should be able to ask a prospective insurance company what percentage of each type of procedure is covered.
After asking for percentages for each type of procedure, the next thing you may want to ask is what specific types of procedures are categorized as and perhaps the frequency and limitations that the plan you are looking at offers. For example, if you know you want to have an insurance plan that covers the entire cost of your semi annual check up, you should ask “what percentage is an exam or oral evaluation covered, and with what frequency?” “would my prophylaxis and bitewings share frequency?” “what about my cleanings?”. These specific questions are important because these are the procedures that your dentist will bill your insurance for. Other procedures you may be curious about are extractions, full mouth or panoramic x-rays, sealants, implants and ortho coverage. Briefly, orthodontic care includes  work to realign teeth and jaws using braces, retainers, spacers, headgear and more. So, if you are looking to straighten your teeth, knowing if your plan covers ortho would be important.
Lastly, and arguably one of the most important questions you want to ask the perspective insurance company are the financial details regarding your plan. Each person has different financial means and finding a plan that affordable should be the most important objective. Start by deciding if you need a family plan, single plan or dependent plan. Ask what is the yearly maximum, the deductible, and the family deductible for the plan. Another question you may want to ask is if there is a waiting period for the policy to kick in. The whole purpose of insurance is to prevent catastrophic financial loss and to make care more affordable. So knowing when all your benefits kick in is especially important.
I am proud that at the Texas Dental Group we take the time to call the insurance and get a coverage breakdown for all of our patients. As well as going over treatment plans so our patients get the most affordable care possible. To schedule an appointment with us, please call the location nearest you: Conroe - (936) 760-3050, Galveston - (409) 740-7744, Homestead - (713) 633-1922, and Richmond - (281) 238-4454.